Saudi Executions Spike, MBS's Image Refurbished Anyway
While human rights groups 'condemn' the 347 executions, it's worth noting the Kingdom's Vision 2030, championed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), has done little to curb state violence. Funny how high-profile assassinations (Jamal Khashoggi, 2018) generate outrage, but mass executions via 'justice system' merely earn a BBC headline. (One might wonder about the timing, as Western leaders
are busy negotiating oil deals and 'strategic partnerships' with the same regime). The US military aid to Saudi Arabia, totaling over $68 billion since 2015 for the Yemen war (according to the Security Assistance Monitor), seems unaffected by these 'condemnations.' Meanwhile, the same media outlets that decry these beheadings often platform MBS's 'modernization' narrative without dissecting the
fundamental hypocrisy. How many civilian dismemberments does it take before diplomatic niceties are finally abandoned?